This year, 28 former SEC players are giving up college eligibility in hopes of earning NFL money.

That’s not a shocking number, but it’s somewhat troubling in context. The NFL in 2015 changed its pre-draft advisory process to discourage early entry from players who could benefit from another college season. It seemed to dampen the sheer volume briefly before early entries returned in force in 2016.

Alabama’s Nick Saban and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney were critical of the current setup at the national championship game; other coaches have given similar remarks.

But for some, it is absolutely the correct decision to enter the NFL draft with eligibility remaining. (We see you, Derrick Henry. Also, A’Shawn — please don’t hurt us.)

There are a few that, while we may not know their full situation, it seems like the decision to forego eligibility is a mistake. Some are not ready for the NFL and while it’s always a risk to return to school, others could have improved their draft stock enough that a return would’ve been prudent.

Still others present more of a muddled picture, like Auburn’s Peyton Barber, who is trying to do right by his family.

So we decided to classify all 28 early SEC entries as “ready,” “not,” or “something else.”

READY

  • Alabama RB Derrick Henry: He ran the ball 395 times last year. Another season like that and Henry was likely to end up on an operating table. There’s nothing more he could’ve proven at the college level that would’ve made him into a can’t-miss first-round pick.
  • Alabama DT A’Shawn Robinson: He looks like he’s 35 years old. But in a good way, not like Greg Oden. He’s starting to reach physical maturity as well, but in this case the specter of “untapped potential” could actually help ensure him a first-round selection.
  • Arkansas RB Alex Collins: He’s put together three consecutive seasons of 1,000 rushing yards. He seemed more mature this year as Jonathan Williams’ injury forced him to be more of a lone wolf. Another year wouldn’t better his draft positioning. It was time.
  • Arkansas RB Jonathan Williams: It’s a bummer that he missed his senior season due to a foot injury. That may cost him a round or two in the draft. But an extra year of earning power in the NFL is worth more than a risk to improve his draft stock by a marginal amount.
  • Arkansas TE Hunter Henry: He’s not the most athletic pass-catching tight end that we’ve seen enter the league in the last 5 years. But he wasn’t going to sprout wings with one more year in Fayetteville, and he’s already a reliable pass-catcher and a good blocker.
  • Florida CB Vernon Hargreaves III: He’s been an All-American almost since the day he arrived in the SEC. The 2015 season in some ways was a quarter-step back even though he played great football. Another year only would have increased his risk of injury or allowed scouts to find some nit-picky thing wrong with his game.
  • Georgia LB Leonard Floyd: He’s 13 pounds heavier than Georgia listed him (244 vs. 231). If he can creep closer to 250, he becomes a much more intriguing chess piece. Already he was considered a strong pro prospect as a pass rusher, and if he can convince teams he’s much more than a situational player his stock could rise all the way into the draft.
  • Mississippi State DT Chris Jones: Just because you haven’t heard of him (if you’re not a Bulldogs fan) doesn’t change the fact that he’s a darn good football player as well as one of the best athletes in this defensive line class. It’s not a tragedy if he’s a Day 2 pick, and no sure bet he’d have been able to leverage his skills into first-round lock status next year.
  • Ole Miss WR Laquon Treadwell: There’s little chance that he’s not the first overall receiver taken in this year’s draft, very likely as a first-round pick.
  • Ole Miss LT Laremy Tunsil: He has a chance to become the No. 1 overall pick. Enough said.
  • Ole Miss DT Robert Nkemdiche: His draft stock is falling, but who knows what would happen with another year to potentially collect more red flags? As it stands, he still could become a first-round pick and at minimum get some nice guaranteed money.
  • South Carolina WR Pharoh Cooper: After two spectacular seasons, it was time to go. The Gamecocks’ offense is going to be threadbare in 2016, and Cooper’s numbers would’ve declined through no fault of his own. He’s physically limited at 5-foot-11 with tight hips and not so special explosion, but that wasn’t going to change with another year.

NOT

  • Auburn OL Avery Young: Even at right tackle, he struggled in pass protection. He’s got the versatility and size to get drafted, and his NFL future likely is at guard. But another year, even at right tackle, in the SEC could’ve helped him hone his technique and quickness.
  • Arkansas G Denver Kirkland: At 6-foot-5 and 340 pounds, Kirkland has an opportunity to be one of the most intimidating maulers in the NFL. But he needs to improve his technique, and another year would’ve helped a ton. This is the kind of player that Alabama usually convinces to return for a senior year.
  • Florida WR Demarcus Robinson: Normally we’re not ones to judge much on NFL Combine media interviews, but Robinson’s apologia seemed canned. His decision to flee rather than face responsibilities in Gainesville seems immature in the least, and we’re not sure he’s physically ready for the NFL either.
  • LSU OT Jerald Hawkins: At his best, he’s a powerful people mover, and cleared many a hole for Leonard Fournette. But there are too many inconsistencies and technique issues. Hawkins could slide to the third day of the draft, and that would be a shame because of his potential. Another year of good coaching could’ve provided better standing.
  • Mississippi State WR De’Runnya Wilson: The former basketball player never quite reached the top tier of SEC receivers. But he came awful close. Still, coupled with his dreadful Combine testing and relative lack of experience, one imagines that another year at the college level — albeit with a different quarterback — could have erased some lingering doubts.
  • Mississippi State LB Beniquez Brown: Most SEC linebackers who are entering the draft as a junior are first- or second-round prospects. Brown isn’t. Although highly productive in 2015, he’s a marginal NFL athlete with several things to improve technique-wise. Reggie Ragland would’ve been more prepared had he entered the draft after 2014 than Brown is this year. Still, with the right team, he could develop into a starter in two or three years.

SOMETHING ELSE

  • Auburn RB Peyton Barber: He just doesn’t seem like an NFL running back to us. A steady player at Auburn, he nonetheless appeared to be an average athlete who even in a powerful system never wowed you. But it’s hard to fault him for entering the draft, first because it appears that Jovon Robinson will enter next year as the clear No. 1 at Auburn and second because he says his mom is homeless. Can’t fault a guy for trying to help his family out of a tough situation.
  • Auburn OT Shon Coleman: A long, talented run-blocker, Coleman will “struggle” as an NFL rookie, Mike Mayock has predicted. He entered the NFL Combine as a second-round projection — reasonable basis for early entry — but knee surgery following the 2015 season represents a setback. If he falls, perhaps he’ll wish he stayed another year.
  • Florida RB Kelvin Taylor: Shoddy Combine testing coupled with mostly-uninspiring film should relegate Taylor to third-day status — at best. But he is a (legacy) running back, and he’s not going to suddenly shave two-tenths off his 40 time by returning to Gainesville.
  • Florida DE Alex McCalister: His Combine performance should ensure that he gets drafted somewhere. This class lacks a lot of pure pass rushers, which also could help. But one has to imagine how much better his stock would be with one more year to get bigger and tougher against the run, as he looks like a situational player as is.
  • Florida S Keanu Neal: He delivers NFL-worthy hits. He should be at least a Day 3 draft pick. Defensive backs could be the position in the highest demand in today’s game. But he could’ve pushed to become the alpha player at the position in 2016 and would’ve had a chance to up his draft stock considerably.
  • Georgia RB Keith Marshall: As well as he played as a freshman and as fast as he ran in Indianapolis, perhaps another year would’ve proven to NFL scouts that he deserves better than being a marginal draft pick. Then again, another year could’ve added even more injuries to his record. And another year in Athens hardly would’ve guaranteed much playing time.
  • LSU CB Rashard Robinson: He didn’t seem to have much choice. Dismissed from the Tigers, Robinson sat out the entire 2015 season. He’s always possessed the talent to be a top-flight draft pick and potentially an NFL starter. But there are character concerns, and he doesn’t exactly fit the profile of a consummate professional.
  • Tennessee WR Marquez North: He never materialized as an All-SEC type force in Knoxville. Injuries were a factor, but his longest catch the last two seasons was 24 yards, and the Vols no longer utilized him to stretch the field. We’re not sure he’s ready for the NFL, but returning to UT wasn’t likely to change his draft stock.
  • Texas A&M OL Germain Ifedi: The Aggies’ impressive streak of first-round offensive tackles ends here. His physical potential exceeds his current play, and with so many holes in his technique, he may be better off at guard long-term. Another year at the college level may not have corrected any of those flaws. While he shouldn’t be a first-round pick, he’ll likely be off the board before the fourth. So it’s not a disaster that he left early.
  • Vanderbilt LB Stephen Weatherly: His decision to leave early for the NFL was somewhat perplexing in a football vacuum. But he’s worked ahead toward his degree, remains just a few credits short and expects to graduate in May. In other words, if football doesn’t work out, don’t expect him to be shilling cell phones at a T-Mobile store.